The academic study of medicinal plants for the treatment of diverse diseases has been nearly as pervasive as the study of Western medicines. The active principles from many traditional medicines have been extracted from plants, the curative agents identified and their mechanisms of action determined. Plant based medicines are typically well tolerated, with less severe side effects as well as a smaller range of side effects. In contrast, while synthetic drugs can be highly effective, their use is often hampered by severe side effects. Additionally, while synthetic pharmaceuticals are based upon single chemicals, many phytomedicines exert their beneficial effects through the additive or synergistic action of several chemical compounds acting at single or multiple target sites associated with a physiological process.
This synergistic or additive pharmacological effect can be beneficial by eliminating the problematic side effects associated with the predominance of a single xenobiotic compound in the body. In this respect, researchers have extensively documented how synergistic interactions underlie the effectiveness of a number of phytomedicines. This theme of multiple chemicals acting in an additive or synergistic manner likely has its origin in the functional role of secondary products in promoting plant survival. For example, in the role of secondary products as defense chemicals, a mixture of chemicals having additive or synergistic effects at multiple target sites would not only ensure effectiveness against a wide range of herbivores or pathogens but would also decrease the chances of these organisms developing resistance or adaptive responses.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,772, also by the inventor herein, demonstrates a synergistic formulation used to treat diabetic lesions, and the same formulation has been proven to provide significant clinical improvement, as well as synergy as measured by extensive gene expression profiling (Olalde et al., 2008, Antoshechkin et al., 2007).
Thus, on the one hand, synthetics may have the required efficacy for disease treatments; however this can be marred by severe side effects. On the other hand, despite the excellent medicinal qualities of many plants, they are individually insufficient to take chronic degenerative diseases into remission.
However, there is mounting evidence to demonstrate that medical plants contain synergistic and/or side-effect neutralizing combinations sufficient to take chronic degenerative disease into remission. Olalde created The Systemic Theory of Living Systems. This theory is axiomatic, and originates from the phenomenological idea that physiological health is based on three factors: E or functional organic energy reserve; I or active biological intelligence; and O which is the integrity of its structure and function. From this theory the applicant developed a treatment strategy called Systemic Medicine (SM)—based on identifying and prescribing phytomedicines and/or other medications that strengthen each factor for elaborating complex formulations for the treatment of chronic degenerative diseases. Systemic Medicine has shown very auspicious results in the treatment of such pathologies.
Thus, what is needed in the art are better treatment regimes with improved patient tolerance, while providing sufficient efficacy. In particular, better treatments for angina pectoris and ischemic heart disease are desired.